The bodies are found on downtown streets and neighborhood alleys. Near O’Fallon Park in the north, and Gravois Park in the south.

Their number is tallied nearly every morning. Two, three, four — sometimes more.

With the homicide rate on target to reach its highest level in 20 years, St. Louis police are coming under increasing pressure. So is the man who two years ago won control of the department to hold it more accountable…

…After a particularly violent weekend last week, the number of murders soared above 100 already this year. That’s 60 percent higher than the number of homicides at the same time last year, which itself had seen a 30 percent increase from the prior year.

The situation has put Slay in unfamiliar territory.

The city’s longest-serving mayor, Slay saw a sharp decrease in homicides after he first took office in 2001. By 2003, under former Chief Joe Mokwa, the annual number of murders dropped to 74, the lowest in generations.

Throughout Slay’s tenure, it stood relatively even, in the 110-130 range. But last year, it spiked to 159. This year it is on pace to reach 190, the highest since 1995, but still lower than peaks in the late 1970s and ’80s. A recent tally showed that most other crime categories are up too.

The number of St. Louis homicides is on track to reach 190, the highest number since 1995.

Please adhere to our commenting policy to avoid being banned. As a privately owned website, we reserve the right to remove any comment and ban any user at any time.

Comments that contain spam, advertising, vulgarity, threats of violence, racism, anti-Semitism, or personal or abusive attacks on other users may be removed and result in a ban.

Facebook Comments

Disqus Comments

OldSailor

Because nothing says “we care about a dead fellow thug” like murder, riot and arson.

Bitter Clinger

St. Louis is finally #1 in something other than baseball. Too bad it has to be as the most dangerous city in America.

tommy mc donnell

is it that kinder, gentler policing?

SpfldJimbo1

Actually…what’s the fret? Stop and think about it.

Mike in Illinois

I submit that it is time to add some honesty to these numbers. In order to say there is a murder, guilt must be established, foul play has to be demonstrated. Fair enough, sometimes that is possible to show absent a offender or their proven guilt.

I ask people to consider this reality. Some of the dead are the result of plain old self defense, yet are then presented as “murders” exclusively because of how the numbers are massaged. A black kid carries a handgun because he literally fears for his life daily. He is attacked in an attempted robbery and defends himself. He ain;t gonna hang around and file police reports because he knows the system will jail him instantly for a litany of “charges” when in reality he really didn’t do anything but exercise his rights. The result? One dead, unsolved situation that is “deemed” a crime when the only crime that actually took place was the attempted violent robbery.

Now, I am a realist, and I concede that I am not presenting a “most of these incidents fall into the category I present” but the truth is some do, indeed quite a few do. And what causes the situation to begin with? Oh yeah, gun control that has no constitutional basis in the first place.

Time for truth folks, Time to demand truth in these numbers, so we can address them, forthrightly. Honestly. I understand some don’t like to talk about these things, but truth commands that we do so. If we are gonna get a handle on this ongoing problem, it is going to take some straight up honesty.

I lived in a rough neighborhood. I understand the mindset and the “rock and a hardplace” position I am talking about. It happens, more than a lot could care o admit. I am advocating taking it head on, honestly. The question, why isn’t government doing that?

harriet

So what’s the problem?

They don;t want no Po Leese

Darkheart11

Then they do not get any, simple as that. Now there is not even the need to pretend the cops were there to ‘protect an d serve’. Every community that suffers blackliesmatter, ALL the increased crime is YOUR FAULT!

Mike in Illinois

Here is what is to fret. For more than our entire lives, those who seek to control others have pitted us against each other, literally and figuratively, with their “statistics” games. They create a situation of hopelessness and violence, with economic policy to gun policy and the use what that abridgment creates to scare us into buying into more and more intrusion into our lives with their bigger government – which only in turn spins the cycle faster. And Faster.

And they toss out the race card as part of their strategy. You know, kinda like you just did there.

See, I have actually stopped to think about it. I have asked the tough question – Just how many of these killings were really nothing more than exercises in self defense? You know what? It seems so very few have the courage to address that fair, yet pointed, question with real answer(s). Maybe you will have the courage that so many others do not, eh? I guess we shall see. Huh.

It is time to stop offering and accepting the race card as a answer. It isn’t the answer. It is time for actual accountability, based on truthful answers to questions of substance. So how about we take on this death spiral, head on, and look at the real causes…..thuggery included?

Darkheart11

Makes me wonder, since they do not live in the communities they contaminate, where do the blackliesmatter trash who are the cause of this massive crime increase, live?

Mike in Illinois

Some of it is happening because police do not get the job done and a reason police aren’t getting the job done is because politicians aren’t letting them get the job done, and another is courts upend the whole thing when some cops actually do nail the actual criminals! Creative lawyering gets slaps on the wrists, instead of the capital punishment that is earned. In actuality, some of the “murders” are just plain old justice doled out to those who deserve it – justice the “justice system” isn’t providing.

I do not discount the point you make, indeed I am actually adding to it.

SpfldJimbo1

I’ll see your “self defense” deaths…and raise you with “thuggery”, “drugs”, “gang affiliation”, “disrespect”, and any other socio-economic/education/self esteem/ historical, or other tear jerker excuse we’ve been fed over the years, by people profiting from no progress in any of the aforementioned areas. In short…. If innocents suffer, I feel for them, but if the majority falling by the wayside are incorrigible $hit bums…. so much the better.

Patty

What St. Louis needs is Conservative leadership and someone like Former Mayor

Rudy Giuliani.

Liberal run cities are going under in record numbers and so is the crime rates, crime is too high.

darrell_b8

The chart tells you what to do………….’Get outta town’…….lots of folks have as you can see….

hwy55south

At least we can count on them to do something.

#BlackFuneralsMatter

Patty

fyi

this is how “good People” fight and win!!!

It’s Official: Ground Zero Mosque DEFEATED!

We did it! We the people. President Obama pushed for
it, then-Mayor of NYC, Michael Bloomberg supported it, the media
actively campaigned for it – the elites in their increasingly fragile
ivory towers stumped for the mosque.

But the people stood up and fought it and won.

Photo above: One of our rallies against the Ground Zero mega-mosque.

Never give it. Never give in. Never surrender.

Here’s the Ground Zero mosque story – you can buy the DVD of this documentary here.

Forget the who or the why, forget what the police did or didn’t do – why do law-abiding people still live in those crime-ridden neighborhoods? One answer – and it’s not about money- they live for the excitement, the constant drum of violence, and don’t want to live in a quiet peaceful neighborhood – bor -ing.
We’ve all seen the grief-stricken mother wailing after she learns her baby was killed, only to find out that one or two other children were murdered last year, last month, too. Why does she stay, why isn’t she living in a tent under a bridge to keep her other children safe?
Excitement, pity, a reason to live.

FW190

#BlackLiesMatter

FW190

Ferguson is a White awakening.

jukin

First, you have to care.

It’s not a gun violence problem in any inner city. It is a black violence problem. Until the problem is properly defined, it can’t be solved.

Jim

If we had a president with leadership capabilities, he would tell those people to stop. The problem is the bad guys are “his” people, and he is too busy playing golf, reading speeches on the teleprompter written by a moslem, lecturing the world on weather, letting our enemies gain strength and releasing an occasional terrorist.

Bubba Gump

Send more shootin irons and we might see a massive record and les demonstrations. Let them thin themselves out. Saves the taxpayers money when they do the work for the criminal justice system.

Gnome Sane

I simply do not understand white flight.

saturn

Eventually all #BlackLivesMatter supporters will have killed each other and solved one of USA;s problems.

haywire63

Ammo is getting a little cheaper and more plentiful. Better add to your stockpile.

roccolore

Black lives DON’T matter when the killers are black.

harriet

Police do not have to go into neighborhoods and be afraid they will be attacked by gangs, or shot while providing public safety and then be prosecuted because these gangs lie about their behavior.

If they can only behave like feral animal and not humans..just let them at it.

harriet

and don;t forget the essential role of Planned Parenthood.

Russel

Oh we’re awake alright, and saying let em keep it up.

Rufus

This is what happens when you remove Pro-active Policing from the equation.
It’s just like what happened when Gadaffi was removed from power… the savages went wild.

Thegoldman

Must be a target rich environment…

The mayor should be proud of herself..

Pa Bell

Gee, most of the murders are north of Highway 40 in the city. Some things just never change when you have democrats running everything for decades. I’m surprised that there aren’t more shootings on the southside in the city. That area has gotten extremely rough over the years. Given more time, democrats will turn St.Louis into a ghost town.

bluidevil

When you combine total ignorance, poverty, drugs,alcohol, black racist indoctrination, stupidity,ambitionless ,lack of any morals ethics or upbringing, and topped off with hate filled political leaders all the way from local mayors to Washington DC, + more ignorance these and other urban stats are supported. These urban zones must be governed by curfews and hard core rule or it will never change.

Mike in Illinois

Police shouldn’t take a job they are afraid of. Your premise is flawed from the first sentence. Next up, “public safety” is a ruse. LEOs job is to protect nd defend the constitution – not the people – because people have a RIGHT to protect and defend themselves…..an enumerated right, which police are not empowered to usurp.

Feral animals need to be put down, that is a job for another government agency.

Oh and one more thing, as for the “let them at it” attitude, many thought that was the right way to go about Islamic terrorism too. Pit them against each other, right? Yeah, that works great until they lash out at those who have nothing to do with their internal power struggles.

Do we need to address the thuggery? You Betcha. Head on, honestly and with overwhelming force.

harriet

I don;t think Police signed up to fight gangs as they respond to crime or signed up to be targeted for assassination.

do you?

Mike in Illinois

You fail to realize that you are among the majority falling by the wayside and thus consider yourself an incorrigible bum. You obviously think there is some way to separate yourself from “them” when in fact we are all in this together.

I point out the very fact of “excuse fed” and your answer is to regurgitate support for the same old tired attitude that you can somehow ignore it, and it will just solve itself if you gated community yourself away from it.
Wrong answer.

Aqualung

Democrats.

Aqualung

Lord of the Flies, 21st Century style.

Freddie Sykes

The biggest problem facing the black community is a lack of fathers. The African American illegitimacy rate has passed 70%. If you do not have a father who cares about you, you will be less likely to care about yourself or others. There are exceptions but that is the rule.

Instead of demanding that others do right by you, start doing right for your children..

Mike in Illinois

Harriet, your comment would be the exact same if you said this about this about the military –
“I don’t think troops signed up fight terrorist groups as they respond to humanitarian aid calls or to be targeted for assassination when they do”.
It is pure hogwash, on both accounts, because not one in either context is conscripted. They sought out that job, willingly and specifically.

Yes harriet, they didsign up for that because they had the courage to do exactly that.

Maybe you think cops are a bunch of pansies who were looking for gravy money. I do not think so lowly of them. I sure do wonder what it is you think a cop wanted to be a cop for? Will you honestly portend that any officer didn’t know they were embarking on a dangerous career? Really?

Now, if you want to say none thought politicians would leave them out in the cold, even tie their hands behind their backs, that is something else altogether and you would find agreement from me on that point. But to present cops as pansies, as idiots who are a bunch of scared schoolchildren? C’mon now. They darn well knew the job was dangerous when they took it – and that is one reason why they did so.
As my son continues with his security forces path with it being a long career of law enforcement within the code of justice while he is in and a civilian police officer afterward, I can tell ya why he chose that – and it sure isn’t out of fear….as you present. I can tell ya that he signed up to head straight at the very thing you claim they don’t want to. Why do you suppose that is? He is the exception? Hardly. He is the rule.

Those who sign up willingly know exactly what they are getting into. They are told all along the way what they are getting into. They have every opportunity to get out while the getting is good. Sure, some deny it, ignore what they are being taught, but THEY are the outliers. They are the exceptions. Far and away the plain truth holds firm.

They choose the job because it is hard, because it is dangerous, because someone has to do it – and they believe themselves to contain the courage, the honor, the guts, to be the ones to do it.

Joe R

Actually the police are the first effort of the justice system. Any action they take is mulled over by politicians trying to gain votes and the management of the department trying to appease the politicians. Whenever an officer is attacked by the media for his actions, the original offense which caused his involvement is forgotten and everyone focuses on the officer’s actions. Ferguson is a prime example. The only mistake that officer made was allowing the thug to pin him in his own vehicle. Everything else was totally justified.

harriet

no

The military is here to fight ‘the enemy’. Police are there to prevent, and solve crime.

Chris

Drive jobs out of the cities and, surprise, people have a lot of time on their hands to get into trouble.

Dustin C.

I Had a Dream…

Politicians and police from the worst jungle towns hold a joint national press conference.
“Listen up, savages.
We didn’t want to believe it but your nonstop homicides have convinced us. Black lives DON’T matter.
Since they don’t matter to you, they no longer matter to us.
Attention! As of today:
1. Machine guns are standard police force issue.
2. Drug dealers, looters and rioters will be SHOT ON SIGHT. NO WARNINGS.
3. BLM and other trouble-makers arriving from out of town will be SHOT ON SIGHT. NO WARNINGS. If he wants to George Soros can pay for your hearse rides home and funerals. We will not.
4. American citizens with clean records may immediately obtain concealed carry gun permits.
5. The watchword from today forward is this: Law-Abiding Citizens’ Lives Matter.
6. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. Our aim is restoring civilization to the civilized.”
***Thunderous applause is heard nationwide!!!***

Then I woke up.

Mike in Illinois

“prevent” crime eh? By punishing absent guilt or what? Criminals are what? Oh yeah, domestic enemies! Solve crime? You bet, picking up pieces after the fact! See, police are tools to enforce law, nothing more and nothing less. That is their function, stand alone, enforce law. To that end, to their oath, the Constitution is what they are to be enforcing, along with code crafted to that end.

Police are to protect your rights, not protect YOU. There is aprofound difference there.

Guess what? Defending the Constitution against the criminal element, the domestic enemies, is a dangerous endeavor. Why? Umm because the criminal element cares not to adhere to law, cares not to respect the Supreme law itself.

Police are not there to stop a criminal from stealing your bike. That is not their role. Their role is to arrest the one who did so – after they did so. It is your own responsibility to stop it from happening in the first place. The same is true regarding one who would murder you. It is not a cops job to protect you from it, only to arrest one who murder you. Again, it is your responsibility, your right, your duty, to defend against the aggression yourself.

So many people have been conned into thinking errantly about the role of law enforcement. Take a look around to see that “…..to protect and serve…..” is coming off cop cars all over the country. Do you know why that is? Here, let me explain it to you. The CON that dot dot dot phrase dot dot dot is has been exposed. It was a propaganda play to make you THINK it applied to YOU, when what it truly applied to all along was GOVERNMENT. To protect and serve GOVERNMENT. I am happy that con is exposed. It is time people accept their own responsibilities, Chief among them, understanding the real role of law enforcement.

Police couldn’t protect you if they wanted to. Sure you can make the case that by capturing that child rapist and jailing him for trial and the judiciary imprisoning him after trial is “protecting you” and “protecting your child” but that is a serious stretch, it is semantics all around, presenting something as true that isn’t. No police officer has the duty to stop a child rapist from attacking your child. None. That is YOUR job. Their job is to come clean up the “remains”, taking them to jail or the morgue, whichever the case may be.

Now back to the point at hand, Is it dangerous to go into a hornets nest to capture up that child molester you let off the hook when you caught them harming your child? When you stood idle and called for someone else to defend you and yours when you would not do so because you thought it was someone else’s job? You Bet it is, and every cop knows it. They WANT to go into that hornets nest, because they know it has to be done, and likewise they know that far too many are so pansified that they won’t do it themselves – especially in the moment.

I hope you come to realize that you have been fed a bill of goods, a big lie that police are there to protect you. They aren’t. They never were. Their job is go after those who are already accused of a crime, not “prevent” crime. Open your eyes to the big lie, friend, seriously. It might just save your life, or your children’s life. I mean no disrespect, and I seriously hope you find this informative, because it is true.

It has even been admitted, when put to the test, in the highest court in the land. Law enforcement is neither duty bound nor tasked with protecting you or defending you from petty crime or great bodily harm. ANd that is proper, for claiming otherwise would be usurping your right to protect and defend yourself. I understand it can be difficult to grasp, even tougher to understand, but it is the truth regardless.

Cops have a very dangerous job, but protecting you is not part of it. Never was. Corrupt politicians just found it convenient to buy votes by convincing people of an untruth , a simple lie, that police are their protectors.

NoBS

Logic with a reasoned approach would require the removal of emotional trigger words.
It would wipe out the entire Political Correct Community activist pity fest.
Without the emotional baggage of entitled self-pity, the liberals could never have advance the Victimhood and blame game agenda.
It’s all a head game any way…

Look_A_Squirrel

Forgive me for asking, but what’s the murder rate in similar sized African cities?

Stick

Damn, is there nothing Obama can’t inflate?

paul52

Moved outta south St. Louis in 1975. All my kin, on both sides, out by 2000. Never going back.

Mike in Illinois

Media played a card in ferguson that amounted to writing a check it could not cash. It did the same with saint skittles. Freddie was the hat trick. Notice, media has gotten, ummm, gun shy.

You won’t get any argument from be regarding being beholden to politicians….I suggest the solution there is to get a handle on their own police union and their antics.

Iman la glass

Blacks control of the media is amazing

rabidfox2

Well, the folks in the poorer, minority neighborhoods made it clear that they really don’t want the cops around. So what did they expect?

rabidfox2

Not quite. Some might live there for the reasons you cite, but others can’t move for economic reasons or family reasons or they are just plain scared of moving away from their support/culture. I’ve run across people whose horizons were defined by their geographic location and simply don’t SEE the world outside of the neighborhood/culture. It’s their identity, their tribe and they (literally) can not see beyond that boundary.

rabidfox2

American pride. American influence. Business opportunity. Just list all the positives of the American experience and you have a list of things that Obama can’t inflate.

Hatred ? NO , disappointment and disgust that civil rights jerks and these so called reverands and black leaders allow this carnage and degradation to continue decade after decade.

Dean

First, half of back babies are aborted, then the ones who are born kill each other off. Works for me.

sophie1150

When Ferguson and Baltimore were burning, Obama simply blamed the school system and unemployment. He never once told people to take responsibility for their actions. Too bad that Dr. Carson was not our 1st black president. Obama has fueled black hatred for each other and whites. Shame on Obama.